This poem came to me back in New York during a shift this past Winter. I saw a TikTok full of tattoo ideas, one depicting a bouquet of wilted flowers being watered by a watering can. This illustration spoke to me, with the idea that when everything feels crushing, you can still grow. One flower in the design is still standing strong and healthy amid the wilting flowers. After writing this piece, I decided I wanted to have it on my body forever. My tattoo artist made a few tweaks to the design, swapping the original flowers out for daffodils (the birth flower for March, my birth month), and redesigning parts of the watering can. This poem and tattoo represent persevering and pushing through even when things get complicated. It stands for growing out of bad habits and putting yourself first, even if you don’t think you deserve it.
If I was a daffodil
I wouldn’t be ashamed
All the emotions running wild
Would suddenly be tamed
Maybe then I’d finally stomach
The utterance of my name
Wish the wind would keep me rooted
Instead of blowing me away
My self-proclaimed whispers
Could be heard no matter the sound
And my beauty would endure
Even after my petals hit the ground
